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Jesus wants us to let go of our self-serving ways and serve others. Often times so many of our relationships and friendships end because we count all the ways someone has not met our expectations or what we wished they had done differently FOR us. What we don’t see is perhaps the other side of things.

There is ALWAYS 3 Sides

When disagreements come about we can pretty much bank on the fact that each party involved feels let down in one way or another BY the other. What would happen if on a moment to moment basis we took offense and even contempt out of the equation and instead replaced those feelings with servitude and humility? Truly serving our loved ones & enemies in ways we would love to be treated ourselves. We can also take this a step further and treat them better than we would treat ourselves. As the word of God says, “No greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) Jesus Christ did this for us.

In John 15, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet.

Jesus is King of Kings yet He came to serve us so that we may learn by His example. He served to the point of giving His life as ransom for many. This is so easy to write yet I must admit I have not served those around me well. So many times I chose to worry more about what was important to me, justifying my actions, rather than putting myself in the other person’s shoes to see what mattered most to them. If we’re honest with ourselves, how many of us can truly call ourselves servants of Christ? Our we striving to serve all those around us as Jesus Christ himself would have?

A dear friend shared this tidbit with me. Imagine a scenario where any of these thoughts pop into your head: “I really wish he cooked me my favorite meal!” or “I would really love it if my coworker could help me complete my tasks when they are not as busy.” When these thoughts pop up they are an opportunity for you to rise and serve them in these very same ways you desire to be served. Think about your thoughts and evaluate your side. Are you doing any of those things for your spouse, for your friend, for your co-worker? Maybe you are and that’s great, but are you doing them with expectations to recieve the same in return? What if we served others for the sheer enjoyment of serving them in love? This is what I believe it means to serve like Christ, in love, without expecting anything back.

Sincerely,

4rm Party Girl To Praying Woman

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” ~Galatians 5:13

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” ~Colossians 3:23-24

“And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ~Mark 9:35

There’s no denying that the thought of a new year can be exciting. It’s a time when people start setting new goals or reset the goals they could not reach last go around. I myself have a lot of aspirations and goals I have set for myself, my family and my walk with God. But I can’t help but think what makes January 1st any different from the past 365 days?

Sure things have changed and by the grace of God 2014 has proved to be a beautiful, growing experience for my family and I. However one thing has always remained the same. God is who He has always been. He is the same loving, gracious, forgiving and wise God he was last January 1st and He’s going to be the same tomorrow. Throughout my years God has never changed but He has changed me and is continuing to change me.

When God enters your heart for the first time He changes you. Everything that once seems so important like having the latest car, the nicest house and even how everyone perceives you loses its appeal. I like nice things like the next person but it no longer motivates me in this world. Instead He has become my motivation. He motivates me to be the best me I can be according to HIS standards and no one else’s. He has turned my goals from the physical to the spiritual. And for once in my life I want to be intentional through it all. So I am finally nipping this procrastination bug in the bud! Here are my goals for 2015. Please feel free to share what your goals will be for 2015 and how you believe God will show up in your life. God bless my brothers and sisters.

These are just a few to name.

Goals for 2015:

1.) I want to spend more time making memories with my family. No television, no technology. Just us, the breath God gave us and the beauty being in each other’s company.

2.) I would like to meet fellow bloggers who inspire me and those who follow my blog so that we can fellowship, pray and connect on a real level.

3.) Find ways to reach out into the community and help those who are lost find their worth and love in Jesus Christ. I want to be the hands and feet of my savior for others who do not know Him yet.

4.) I want to be intentional with my writing so that others see it is by the grace of God I have words to share.

5.) And last but not least I want to join and remain in the body of Christ by finding my family’s home church. No church is perfect but I’ve come to realize we belong to the body of Christ and each one of us are gifted with a purpose to be fulfilled in the body just as each part of our physical body serves a purpose. I want to serve my purpose for others through God.

Happy New Years My Brothers & Sisters and may our goals align with God’s will,

4rm Party Girl To Praying Woman

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. ~Proverbs 16:9

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. ~Hebrews 13:8

I love everything that Christmas truly stands for. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our savior. It is about Him, all He has done for us and continues to do for us. He is not only the reason for the season, He is the reason for existing. Unfortunately in this day and age it seems that some are trying to turn this significant celebration of the birth of Christ into a commercialized, material-driven “Holiday”. Jesus was not sent to us in the form of man in order to save us from our sin just so that 2,000 years later our trees could be jam packed with presents.

A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words

I see people left and right getting into piles of debt just so that they can keep up with materialistic expectations that our kids have. What makes it worse is that they are learning these ways from us! I am not saying that gifts are bad and we should not buy anything for our kids at all. What I am trying to say is let’s start digging deeper into the true meaning of why we celebrate and let that pour over into our kids. We need to show our kids that even if we didn’t have a cent to buy them any toys we should be filled with joy because our savior is enough. Through His example we can show them ways to be kind to others in love and everything else Jesus Christ encompasses, in various ways, and not only during Christmas.

“The Best Things In Life Are Not Things.”

Meet Janessa!! I said Cheese and I am guessing she thought she was going to eat cheese because she began praying.

My daughter is a bit over 2 years old but she is already so smart and absorbs information all around her. The things she remembers and knows astonishes me on a daily basis.

I want to start a tradition with her this year. I plan on having a present for Jesus Christ for His birthday so that I can explain to her why we are celebrating. My idea is to find a manger or have one made (my cousin works wonders with wood), have it wrapped so when she opens it she can see the scene of His birth. Then I will read to her the story of how our savior came to this world and as she is listening I will show her each and every person in the nativity scene so she can visually comprehend as well.

Be Intentional!

I believe we must be intentional when we are showing our kids who God is and why He so mercifully and graciously sent us a savior when we were least deserving. I want this tradition to carry out threw our lives and fill our years with joy. Perhaps Janessa will want to do the same when she has a child of her own one day. (One day far, far away lol)

I encourage you all, if you haven’t already, to start traditions with your families that encompass the values and beliefs that matter the most in this world. If you have a tradition like this or any other I would love to hear all about them. I pray you all have a wonderful and Merry Christmas this year enjoying what truly matters. God bless my brothers and sisters.

Sincerely,

4rm Party Girl To Praying Woman

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~ Hebrews 13:5

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ~Luke 12:15

Anger and sarcasm have been my defense mechanisms since childhood. I wasn’t the most popular kid growing up whether I was being picked on because I came from a poor family who couldn’t afford the latest trends or because I was one of the lightest skinned kids in a predominately Hispanic school. You name it, I was probably teased about it. But as the years passed by I learned that I had a wit about me and I could tango with the best of them. When these kids picked on me it was all too easy to tear them down a notch as they have been doing to me. The temporary satisfaction of getting even only led me to believe that this is what I should have been doing all along. Defend myself at all costs, that’s what the world teaches us, right? Wrong. Had I known then that it never mattered what these kids thought of me, it only matters what God thinks of me, perhaps my anger and especially my attitude would not be such a battle I face so often today in my adulthood.

Anger in itself is not a sin;Actions carried out in Anger can be.

There are days where my anger wins the battle and I walk away feeling defeated by my own actions but then there are days filled with glorious victories that eclipse whatever win the devil thought he had over me. On those days I realize how truly far God has brought me. He is my great defender and will right any wrong done against me. And furthermore that in the face of a trial a lesson can always be learned.

God can transform the most stubborn of hearts out there and use them for good just like He did with Paul(Saul). God has promised to finish the work He has begun in us and there isn’t a shadow of a doubt in my mind that it will be done. Piece by piece we will be chipped away until that precious day we are called up and will be made perfect like our savior Jesus Christ. I pray that each of us can extend grace especially to those we feel do not deserve it. I lift all those who are struggling with these same anger issues as me. May we be lifted up to the Lord so that He may remove every stem of bitterness and resentment in our hearts. Help us to forgive, let go and not sin in anger. In the precious name of Jesus Christ I pray this over every person who reads this message. Amen. God bless you all my brothers and sisters.

Sincerely,

4rm Partygirl to Praying Woman

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. ~Proverbs 29:11

We could all use more slices of humble pie throughout our day. When you’re passionate about God’s word to the point where you cannot go a day without telling someone about Jesus something inside of you makes you never want to stop. And that’s more than great, it’s amazing. The Holy Spirit works wonders this way.

Such humility is the beautiful smile on the face of God

I pray we continue to show love and kindness when spreading God’s word. There are some that will be offended no matter how much love we tell the truth with and only God can change a hardened or shallow heart so let’s not take their offense personal. Rather truly pray for them because it is God they are truly attacking whether they know it or not. And Lord have mercy on a soul that picks a fight against the very creator of all the universe. God bless my brothers and sisters.

Sincerely,

4rm Party Girl to Praying Woman

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-11

Disclosure : Family Christian has provided me with this game for my review. All opinions are my own and I am not being compensated for this post other than the game itself.

Whether you are a seasoned believer or a newborn Christian one thing remains important in your spiritual walk and that is growth. To grow spiritually, I believe we must actively seek God in our everyday lives. In my opinion there are countless ways to do this and for me some of my favorites ways to feel closer to God throughout my daily routines are as follows: Making it a daily habit to read scripture through a bible reading plan, listening to worship music while I work, receiving daily devotionals, etc. The list can go on and on.

I recently received an opportunity to try out “The Action Bible Guess-It Game”. I was not financially compensated other than receiving the game and was asked to give my honest opinion.

Fun for Family night, Game Night or any other gatherings…

At first the instructions to this game seemed a bit confusing but once I re-read the “How to” it was actually much easier than I originally thought. I played the game with a few of my coworkers. Some of us had more biblical knowledge than the others but all in all playing was still really fun for everyone. I feel as though this game would be a great idea for a family night whether spontaneous or planned. The way the points are setup you can have easy or hard levels.

Perfect For a Friendly Competition!

What I love most about this game is that the card side with the answers also tells you which book the answer is in and the vs each clue is in. I even had a coworker whose Grandfather had been a bible scholar and church founder say and I quote, “This is a great way to study up on God’s word. I can just take a few cards a day and study my bible with them!”

I recommend The Bible Guess-It game to anyone looking to learn more about God’s word and who wouldn’t mind having lots of fun in the mean time. As you can see in the picture below, some will do better than others and NO, I will not tell you which letter was mine! Ha….Good luck and let me know what you thought of the game!

The bible talks about envy but goes in-depth about a man of God who suffered through his envy of fools(book III psalms 73-89). This man of God gives example after example of wicked people who prosper and have no worries. He speaks about the many trials he faces daily and admits all the short comings he feels compared to the ungodly. He is attending a pity party of 3(me, myself & I). But in his conclusion, similar to his beginning statement, he acknowledges the good in his life and that is the presence of God. Envy has been one of man’s greatest downfalls since Cain and Abel. Superiority always arouses envy and Cain was envious of Abel not because he was a fool but because he did something Cain didn’t. Through his faith and pure heart, Abel provided a more pleasing offering to God. It was envy that drove Cain to murder his brother and then hide from God afterwards. Because Cain allowed his envy to control his actions he faced the most severe consequences that is a life without the presence of God. He was marked for his transgression.

Moment of truth: There have been some moments of envy in my life for both the wicked fools and, as hard as it is to admit, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The bible says only a fool envies another fool. There is no reason to envy what others may have whether they be a fool or a brother. When envying a fool what are we envying? Their bank accounts, their careers, their status in this world or their perfect life that doesn’t actually exist? Everyone is fighting a battle you may know nothing about. Furthermore, when we have feelings of envy towards a fellow brother or sister as Cain did Abel we risk taking the path of destruction. God loves His children and as shown through this story of brothers and envy we see what horrible consequences can come from such feelings when we feed into them.

We see two very clear examples of how envy can gain a foothold on our lives and destroy us if we don’t keep our eyes on the love of God that is ours through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we compare the wicked’s prosperity with our suffering or even envy our fellow believer’s blessings we are not keeping the faith in the fact that God is good. No matter our circumstance, He is who HE is! If we allow envy to consume us there will be no more room for God. You can have everything you have ever wanted in this world but truly I tell you my friends that a life without God is not a life at all. Instead you have a span of mere coincidences and passing moments that will flee and never matter again. EVERYTHING with God matters. Personally I don’t want to live a life praying for better moments, better opportunities or even that God solve all my problems. I want to live a life thanking God for every second He has gifted me with, praying and lifting up others and just down right appreciating all the blessings I am sure I take for granted at least once a day.